Andrew Mitchell MP has once again arranged for the participants of the Sutton Coldfield Inter-Schools Debating Competition to visit Parliament.

All 16 students who took part in the 2010 competition (which took place in March of this year), and two teachers, travelled by train from Sutton Coldfield to Westminster last Tuesday where they took a tour of the Houses of Parliament and watched Parliamentary Questions in the House of Commons.

It was an opportunity for the students to see how MPs undertake debates in the Commons as well as learn about the history of the UK Parliament.

The students were also treated to a lunch and a talk from Christopher Pincher MP, who was recently elected to represent the nearby constituency of Tamworth.

Speaking about the visit, Andrew Mitchell MP said, “It was a pleasure to have the Sutton Coldfield debaters down to Westminster again this year.

I hope they enjoyed their trip and got to learn a bit more about how we hold debates here in Parliament.

“Huge thanks must go to Birmingham Metropolitan College – without whose sponsorship this visit would not have been possible – as well as Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls who hosted the 2010 Competition and helped to organise this trip.”